Effective communication in optical practice is essential whether between staff and patient or between members of the practice team. It is not possible to cover such a vast topic as communication in one article and so this article is in two parts. In this first part, we will look at an example of a simplistic scenario, where poor communication leads to an upset patient and a lot of unnecessary stress.
In part two, we will look at some of the aspects to consider when building an effective communication system that will work in your practice. I trust after reading this, it will encourage you to look into the art of effective communication in more depth and, as ever, I would be happy to discuss this with you.
The scenario
The example we will use is a made-up scenario, but one which will probably bring back memories for anyone who has had the unfortunate experience of a spectacle order not going to plan. Mrs Jackson has ordered some prescription multifocal sunglasses for a cruise of a lifetime to celebrate her 60th birthday. Mrs Jackson ordered her sunglasses three weeks before her trip, having checked when she had her eye exam and been told they would take two weeks.
Unfortunately, a problem with the manufacturing meant the order was delayed and following many calls to and from Mrs Jackson, who was feeling stressed about the delays, the sunglasses were to be ready just in time. On Tuesday, Fiona, who was following the progress of the order confirmed with the lab that they were in the overnight delivery, arriving on Wednesday morning.
Fiona called Mrs Jackson and suggested that she could collect them on the way to the airport on Wednesday morning. Being part time, and not being in on Wednesday, Fiona left a sticky note saying: ‘URGENT, Mrs Jackson’s delayed Rx sunnies will be here first thing tomorrow, she will collect them on her way to the airport.’
The following morning was slightly manic. Local traffic issues caused some of the team to arrive late and the first patient was also delayed. Reminders had just landed so the phones were ringing off the hooks. Mrs Jackson called at 9.30am to check the glasses are ready as she is just about to leave for the airport.
Fiona does not start work until 11am on Wednesday, but John took the call and, on seeing the sticky note, informed Mrs Jackson that unfortunately they are not ready but will be here first thing tomorrow. Mrs Jackson can take no more of this, gives John some choice words and hangs up, leaves for the airport, vowing to demand a refund when she returns from her holiday.
At 11.30am, Fiona arrives for work and sees to her horror that today’s delivery has not been opened yet and asks why Mrs Jackson has not picked up her sunglasses. I will let you guess the rest.
Now this scenario is of course made up for effect but by carrying out a short analysis of what happened from a communication perspective, we may be able to come up with some ideas on how this could be prevented from happening again.
Under-promise and over-deliver
Many practices adopt a mantra of under-promising and over-delivering, preferring to impress the patient by exceeding their expectations. In my experience, this is a mantra that can easily drift. In our scenario, a three-week timeframe was supposed to give plenty of time. However, thinking logically, if the specs take two weeks to manufacture, then three weeks gives no leeway at all if any error is identified near the end of that process.
Logically, the spectacles might take two, four or even six weeks to make, if things go wrong as happened in this case. If at the original enquiry of how long they might take, a further conversation was had about why the question was asked, the gravity of the deadline would have been apparent.
Perhaps the answer to the how long question might have been: ‘The manufacturing process takes two to three weeks. However, as they are for a special occasion it would be wise to give us plenty of time just in case things do not go to plan.’
In this scenario, Mrs Jackson may well have come in four or even five weeks earlier. With the stress removed from the situation, the glasses may have been ready in three weeks, even accounting for delays in the manufacturing.
Mixed messages
Modern practices can be busy and with many practices including part-time staff, keeping the information flowing correctly can be a challenge. Think about the message that was left and how it was left. What could have been done differently?
Here are some thoughts:
- The practice may have had a computer system, where all records are kept, but in this case a simple sticky note may have been used in haste.
- The note was not date or time-stamped. If the note had included a date and time it was left, staff member B would have realised immediately the note had been left on Tuesday, gone to the delivery and found the glasses.
- Some practices pre-print notes and include important information such as date, time, who took the message and the action required. In this case, if such a system was in place the problem would have been avoided.
Over-communication
Some people, myself included, often take the view that it is impossible to over-communicate. However, imagine what would have happened if staff member A had not left a message at all. In this case staff member B would have in all probability checked the delivery and averted the problem. Communication is tough enough, so making it even more complex by communicating unnecessarily can also be a challenge.
How to limit the impact of poor communication
In our simplistic example, it is obvious that a few small changes would have averted what, for Mrs Jackson and the practice, turned out to be a disaster. Of course, in practice things will go wrong, but by building communication systems and rules that everyone follows, the impact can be lessened.
The type of practice you work in will dictate the way communication works. In larger corporate organisations, it is likely that there is a set structure that all members of the team are required to adopt. While this helps to systemise the communication process, it will have limitations since different people have different communication styles.
In smaller independent practices, where the owner is an optometrist or dispensing optician, management needs to be learnt and systems developed with the team.
How do you build a sound communication system?
Building a communication system firstly requires a full understanding of how the team works, the roles of the members and how the workflows of the team. Below is an example of how to build an effective communication system for a small team.
1 Define communication objectives
The team needs to define what will need communicating. This can come from thinking about the desired results and working backwards. It can also be helpful to play out scenarios, as we have done in this article, to help identify where things might go wrong and put in systems to prevent those things happening.
Part of this process can also be aligning business goals, team goals and individual goals, helping to identify where conflicts may occur.
2 Select communication tools
There are many ways to communicate. We used the sticky note in our example, but there are systems, platforms and apps designed to aid effective communication. Apps such as WhatsApp, Google Messaging and Microsoft Teams are three that spring to mind. Of course, some practice management systems have sophisticated built in systems that are often under-utilised but, if implemented well, can be very effective.
Then of course there is email, used more for formal communication, announcements or messages that require detailed explanations.
Finally, there are face to face communications, either in a one-to-one scenario, or in team meetings. Many smaller practices, for example, have introduced morning ‘huddles’ to make sure each day everyone is on the same page and any important information can be shared. Looking back at our scenario, if morning huddles were part of the practice communication system, Mrs Jackson will have probably been top of the agenda and John would have been aware of the issue.
3 Establish communication rules
Establishing rules as a team can help ensure everyone works to the same pattern. For example, how quickly team members should respond to messages. Examples may be: phone message, within an hour; WhatsApp, within two hours; email, within a day. (These are not recommendations, just examples of how you can agree to systems everyone can work with.)
It is also important to decide when and how often to have face to face meetings, how long they should take and how they should be conducted. While a daily huddle might be 10 minutes standing up at 8.45am, a monthly staff meeting might be 90 minutes at 5pm of the first Wednesday every month.
4 Effective sharing of information
In our example, there was probably not a system for sharing information. The sticky note was used in a rush and hence caused confusion the next day. One practice I visited a few years back had a very simple system: six whiteboards in the staff area, one for each day of the week. The team could write messages for each other using different coloured pens on the relative white board. It worked well for them, especially as they had several part-time staff members.
Whether you create a shared area for notices, pre-printed forms containing information prompts or use practice management software, making sure the team are all working in the same way is the goal.
5 Learn, monitor and refine
Any system will be imperfect the first time it is used and hence refining and improving the system over time is essential. As well as adjusting the systems when it fails, it pays to regularly review systems as new technology advances yet to come will undoubtedly make effective communication easier.
Encourage feedback from team members on how effective communication is in the practice. New team members, especially when joining from outside organisations can often bring a new perspective on communication systems. As well as making sure new staff are onboarded well, give them the opportunity to critique your systems and offer new ideas on how they can be improved.
Final thoughts
My final thought would be to encourage a culture where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, critiquing the status quo and asking questions. Acknowledge when things are going right and celebrate successful communication. Be prepared to adjust and continuously improve communication systems as the team grows, selecting the right tools that work for them. Work hard on building effective communication in your practice and you will avoid many of the classic pitfalls, have less stressful situations to deal with and enjoy a more positive working experience.
- David Samuel is a former independent practice owner, dispensing and contact lens optician, who also has a marketing degree and an MBA. He now runs his own business and mental fitness practice, helping practice owners and their teams to be the best they can be.
For a copy of his Business Health Check questionnaire email david@davidsamuel coaching.com or visit davidsamuel coaching.com.
